Chair tiering tubes



Oct. 25, 1966 w. G. AXTELL. 3,281,184

CHAIR TIERING TUBES Original Filed Aug. 23, 962

INVENTOR. W/LLARD G. AX TELL A TORNE YS United States Patent f 3,281,184 CHAIR TIERING T UBES Willard G. Axtell, Englewood, (1010., ass1gnor, by mesne assignments, to Samsonite Corporation, Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Original application Aug. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 218,885, now Patent No. 3,207,551, dated Sept. 21, 1965. Divided and this application Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 411,956 4 Claims. (Cl. 297-248) This invention relates to tiering tubes, and more particularly to tubes for attaching adjacent chairs together in rows. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 218,885, filed August 23, 1962, now U.S. Patent No. 3,207,551, granted September 21, 1965.

Various types of tiering clamps and bars have been provided previously, but these have each had certain inherent disadvantages. Some tiering clamps cons1st of longitudinal bars extending along the row of chairs, which attach the chairs together in a row but which produce an inconvenient obstruction for the feet of persons sitting in the chairs. Also, the chairs are usually relatively permanently attached to this type of tiering bar so that a given number of chairs, such as four, must be attached to each pair of bars. Thus, the number of chairs on each pair of bars cannot be altered, unless the, bar is cut so that it does not extend beyond the ends of the outer chairs. In another type of tiering clamp, a pair of bars connect one chair behind another. This arrangement has the obvious disadvantage that a person moving between the rows of chairs must step over these bars, which extend below the seat of each of the chairs. Also, this arrangement has the same disadvantage as the previous bars, in that a predetermined number of chairs must be attached to the bars or the bars must be cut to a shorter length to accommodate a lesser number of chairs. Another disadvantage of either of the above arrangements is that since the chairs are rigidly attached together, the arrangements in which the chairs may be placed is limited.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide novel tiering tubes which will interconnect adjacent chairs adjacent the seats thereof, to form longitudinal rows; to provide such tiering tubes which permit the outer chairs of a row to be moved inwardly, so that the chairs may assume an arcuate position in the row; and to provide a tiering tube which is simple in construction, yet efficient in operation.

Additional objects and the novel features of this invention will become apparent from the description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a plurality of chairs attached together by tiering tubes of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of one of the chairs of FIG. 1 having a tiering tube attached thereto;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of a chair of FIG. 2, showing the manner in which a tiering tube is attached to a chair;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, on a further enlarged scale, showing the ends of two tiering tubes in engaging position;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the connection between two adjacent tiering tubes, as shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal, vertical section, taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and showing also the attachment of one tiering tube to a seat bar of the chair frame.

In accordance with this invention, two or more chairs, such as chairs C of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be connected together by novel tiering tubes T. Chairs C have, at

3,281,184 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 ice each side, tubular front and rear legs 10 and 1 1, respectively, which are square in cross-section and are conveniently formed integrally with a horizontal seat bar 12. Conveniently, a chair frame 13 formed of tubular members and having a lower forwardly extending seat portion and a rearwardly and upwardly extending back portion, may be attached to the spaced front and rear legs, as by bolts 'or by welding, and is adapted to support a seat cushion I14 and a back cushion 15. The lower end of each leg 10 and 11 is conveniently provided with a foot F, .which is attached to the leg for pivotal movement to permit the foot to conform to the angularity between the chair leg and the floor or other surface upon which the chair is placed.

The tiering tubes T of FIGS. 1-6 may be utilized in securing a series of chairs together in a straight row or in an arcuate row, as in FIG. 1. Conveniently, each tiering tube T is of hollow, tubular construction, provided at one end with a ball 16 and at the other end with an open mouthed socket 17, for receiving the ball of the tiering tube on the next adjacent chair. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each ball 16 has an outer diameter the same as the tube, with an open end at the front and a reduced neck 18 inwardly therefrom. The socket 17 is conveniently an enlargement whose inner surface corresponds to the outer surface of a ball 16, thus being provided with an inwardly extending end flange 19, whose inside diameter at the outer edge is only slightly greater than neck 18 and which extends around the upper half of the end of the tube and also downwardly along each front edge of a skirt 20. Each skirt 20 extends downwardly from approximately the center of each side of the tube to provide a slot, which the lower edge of each skirt conveniently slants inwardly, as in FIG. 6, so that when a socket 17 is pushed downwardly onto a ball 16, the ball will snap into the socket.

The sockets 17 are readily formed by removing a generally triangular piece of metal, having a base corresponding to an edge 20 between the skirts, and curved sides corresponding to the contour of the lower edge of each skirt unwrapping from the tube. Then, the skirts may be flattened out, with an inclination toward each other at the bottom, and the bell shape of the upper portion and flange 19 then formed. Such operations are readily carried out in a punch press or similar machine. Each ball 16 is conveniently formed by spinning, i.e. application of pressure by a suitable tool, while the tube is rotated. For this purpose, relatively thin tubing is preferably utilized, such tubing being practical, since the stress on the ball and socket joints is not great. It will be understood, of course, that the tiering tubes T may be manufactured in any other suitable manner and also that pith? types of ball and socket connections may be utizie Each tiering tube T is conveniently disposed in a position abutting the rear of front legs 10 of a chair and held against the underside of chair frame 13, as by means of a bolt 22, as in FIGS. 3 and 6. Each bolt 22 conveniently extends through a-hole 23 in the tiering tube, shown in FIG. 5 and into a tapped hole in frame 13. The tiermg tubes prevent the chairs from pulling apart by the reduced neck 18 adjacent ball 16 of one tube into which extends the flange 19 of the socket 17 of the next tube, so that the ball will not pull out of the socket, as in FIGS 5 and 6. The chairs, after being connected, may be arranged in a straight row or in a semicircle or arc, as in FIG. 1, by placing the outer chairs of the row forwardly, the connection between the ball and socket of adjacent tubes permitting such latitude in positioning of the chairs. For disconnection, each chair, in turn, may be lifted slightly to remove the socket off the ball of the tiering tube of the next chair.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the objects hereinbefore set forth have been fulfilled to a marked degree. A tiering tube has been provided which attaches adjacent chairs together adjacent the front legs thereof, in such a way that they may be moved with respect to each other into a semicircular arrangement or maintained in a straight row. The tiering tubes are provided With ball and socket joints which permit ready attachment, as Well as ready detachment, of adjacent chairs.

Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated and described, it will be readily under stood that various changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A tiering device for joining two chairs together, comprising a tube having a ball at one end and a socket at the opposite end and having a length such that when attached to the underside of a chair seat adjacent the front thereof, said ball will extend at one side of said chair and said socket at the opposite side of said chair; said ball having an open end, an outer diameter corresponding to said tube and said tube having a reduced neck inwardly from and forming a portion of said ball; and said socket having a bell shape corresponding to said ball around approximately the upper half of said tube and a skirt depending from said bell at each side, said skirts being generally flat but inclined towards each other adjacent their lower ends and each skirt having an inwardly extending flange along the front edge thereof.

2. A tiering device as set forth in claim 1 including a slot formed between said skirts so that said socket may be dropped over the ball of the tiering device attached to an adjacent chair.

3. A tiering device for joining two chairs together, comprising:

a first tube attacheu to the underside of a seat of a first chair adjacent the front thereof, extending laterally from one side of said seat and pnovided with a ball formed by said tube on the extending end thereof, said ball having an open end, and outer diameter corresponding to said tube and a reduced neck inwardly from and forming a portion of said ball; and

a second tube attached to the underside of a seat of a second chair adjacent the front thereof and extending laterally from said seat, said second tube having a socket for engaging said ball when said chairs are placed in side by side relation, said socket having a bell shape corresponding to said ball around approximately the upper half of said tube and a skirt depending from said bell at each side, said skirts being generally flat but inclined towards each other adjacent their lower ends and each skirt having an inwardly extending flange along the front edge thereof.

4. A tiering device as set forth in claim 3, including a slot formed between said skirts so that said socket may be dropped over the ball of the tiering device attached to said adjacent chair.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 123,131 1/ 1872 Taylor 297-249 644,423 2/ 1900 Gruggen 287-87 1,077,053 10/1913 Dodds 28787 2,486,483 11/1949 Landen 287-87 2,621,709 12/ 1952 Bell 297249 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,273,714 9/1961 France.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. F. K. ZUGEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TIERING DEVICE FOR JOINING TWO CHAIRS TOGETHER, COMPRISING A TUBE HAVING A BALL AT ONE END AND A SOCKET AT THE OPPOSITE END AND HAVING A LENGTH SUCH THAT WHEN ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF A CHAIR SEAT ADJACENT THE FRONT THEREOF, SAID BALL WILL EXTEND AT ONE SIDE OF SAID CHAIR AND SAI DSOCKET AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID CHAIR; SAID BALL HAVING AN OPEN END, AN OUTER DIAMETER CORRESPONDING TO SAID TUBE AND SAID TUBE HAVING A REDUCED NECK INWARDLY FROM AND FORMING A PORTION OF SAID BALL; AND SAID SOCKET HAVING A BELL SHAPED CORRESPONDING TO SAID BALL AROUND APPROXIMATELY THE UPPER HALF OF SAID TUBE AND A SKIRT DEPENDING FROM SAID BELL AT EACH SIDE, SAID SKIRTS BEING GENERALLY FLAT BUT INCLINED TOWARDS EACH OTHER ADJACENT THEIR LOWER ENDS AND EACH SKIRT HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ALONG THE FRONT EDGE THEREOF. 